Alright. Our topic today is “May Day – Spring of Hope”. Now this is a very interesting time period and I would encourage you to leap forward or spring forward with actions that are all based on hope: hope for a better world, hope to end hunger, hope to have a peaceful reality and a peaceful world. This is a time clearly to focus your hope and your choice.

Now if I could say nothing else, I would say that “hope” and “choice” might be the key words here. Many need to know there is still hope for something good.

There is hope for turnaround and then they can choose a better reality than the one that they are experiencing now. And even if all odds are against it, when you pool together your choices, in other words, like minds create great things together in a team effort.

So if you have the same desire perhaps as your neighbor, that you are hoping for peaceful planet or maybe you are just hoping for a quiet neighborhood at the moment (and I am going to expand on that a bit later). Whatever it is, band together with like-minded individuals.

Now I know that these days, a lot of that happens in chat rooms and by e-mail and sometimes by letter or just maybe joining an organization or making a donation or whatever it is that you do. Take some sort of action that is clearly a hopeful springing forward, and, if you are able, take more than one action in that direction.

Also this is an important time period to share with others to keep their hopes up, to keep choosing. “I choose a better reality” or “I choose abundance” or “I choose good health” or “I choose…” whatever it is, just keep it coming.

And another practice just to take this a bit deeper for those of you who do energy work, or prayer work, is that when two or more are gathered in the name of Creation (now different religions put it in different terms, so you can substitute whatever word that you want that makes you more comfortable), basically it is saying there is one other human being that has the same desire and you can connect on some wavelength, that your co creative powers will far exceed the nay sayers or the negative thinkers. So this is a time for that positive energy of hope and free will choice.

May Day is classically a time to usher in that green fresh growth, you know, that energy, that potential, to take that sprout and turn it into a tall strong plant. So treat your hopes the same way and keep making choices in a direction that you want to go in.

I do appreciate those of you who share the information freely on the Internet and verbally with friends. Some of you print these out and give them to other people. Thank you so much for your willingness to share that. And perhaps that beautiful emerald green color would be a good one. Just close your eyes for a moment. Just think of that beautiful emerald green color and that harmony vibration and let that soak into your body.

All right dear ones. That is my Spirituality Article Information for this particular week.

The Awakening:

A time comes in your life when you finally get it when in the midst of all your fears and insanity you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out ENOUGH! fighting and crying or struggling to hold on. And, like a child quieting down after a blind tantrum, your sobs begin to subside, you shudder once or twice, you blink back your tears and through a mantle of wet lashes you begin to look at the world through new eyes.
This is your Awakening
You realize it's time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change or for happiness, safety and security to come galloping over the next horizon. You come to terms with the fact that he is not Prince Charming and you are not Cinderella and in the real world there aren't always Fairy Tale endings (or beginnings for that matter) and that any guarantee of "happily ever after" must begin with you and in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.
You awaken to the fact you are not perfect and not everyone will always love, appreciate or approve of who or what you are and that's OK. (They are entitled to their own views and opinions.) And you learn the importance of loving and championing yourself and in the process a sense of new found confidence is born of self approval.
You stop complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to you (or didn't do for you) and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected. You learn people don't always say what they mean or mean what they say and not everyone will always be there for you and that it's not always about you. So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself and in the process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance.
You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are, and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties, and in the process a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness. You realize that much of the way you view yourself, and the world around you, is as a result of all the messages and opinions that have been ingrained into your psyche. And you begin to sift through all the things you've been fed about how you should behave, how you should look, and how much you should weigh, what you should wear, and where you should shop, and what you should drive, how and where you should live, and what you should do for a living, who you should sleep with, who you should marry, and what you should expect of a marriage, the importance of having and raising children or what you owe your parents.
You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. And you begin reassessing and redefining who you are what you really stand for. You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you've outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with, and in the process you learn to go with your instincts.
You learn it is truly in giving that we receive. And there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a "consumer" looking for your next fix. You learn principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a by-gone era but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life. You learn you don't know everything, its not your job to save the world and you can't teach a pig to sing. You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO. You learn the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get burned at the stake.
Then you learn about love. Romantic love and familial love. How to love, how much to give in love, when to stop giving and when to walk away. You learn not to project your needs or your feelings onto a relationship. You learn you will not be more beautiful, more intelligent, more lovable or important because of the man or woman on your arm or the child that bears your name.
You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be. You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn just as people grow and change so it is with love and you learn you don't have the right to demand love on your terms just to make you happy.
You learn that alone does not mean lonely And you look in the mirror and come to terms with the fact you will never be a size 5 or a perfect 10 and you stop trying to compete with the image inside your head and agonizing over how you "stack up."
You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs. You learn feelings of entitlement are perfectly OK .and that it is your right to want things and to ask for the things that you want and that sometimes it is necessary to make demands.
You come to the realization you deserve to be treated with love, kindness, sensitivity and respect and you won't settle for less. And, you allow only the hands of a lover who cherishes you to glorify you with her or his touch and in the process you internalize the meaning of self-respect.
And you learn your body really is your temple. And you begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You begin eating a balanced diet, drinking more water and taking more time to exercise. You learn fatigue diminishes the spirit and can create doubt and fear. So you take more time to rest. And, just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So you take more time to laugh and to play.
You learn, that for the most part, in life you get what you believe you deserve and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
You learn anything worth achieving is worth working for and wishing for something to happen is different from working toward making it happen. More importantly, you learn in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance. You also learn no one can do it all alone and that it's OK to risk asking for help.
You learn the only thing you must truly fear is the great robber baron of all time FEAR itself. You learn to step right into and through your fears because you know whatever happens you can handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your terms. And you learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom. You learn life isn't always fair, you don't always get what you think you deserve and sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people. On these occasions you learn not to personalize things. You learn no one is punishing you or failing to answer your prayers. It's just life happening.
And you learn to deal with evil in its most primal state the ego.
You learn negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you. You learn to admit when you are wrong and to building bridges instead of walls.
You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about: a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower.
Slowly, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you to make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never ever settle for less than your heart's desire. And you hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind. And you make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility. Finally, with courage in your heart and with faith by your side you take a stand, you take a deep breath and you begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can.
Source Unknown
received via email

May God protect You…

May God protect you
From scary nights,
from hasty flights;
From too much food,
from a somber mood;
From ringing bells,
from self-made hells;
From sickish pains,
from dishonest gains;
From excessive needs,
from tricky deeds;
From foolish quarrels,
from resting on laurels;
From silly fears,
from idle tears;
From forgotten lines,
And from all bad times.
We pray,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
from The Irish, p.55
by Fr. Andrew Greeley

Dawn of New Beginnings

O God,
We thank you for this earth, our home; for the wide sky and the blessed sun, for the ocean and streams, for the towering hills and the whispering wind, for the trees and green grass.
We thank you for our senses by which we hear the songs of birds, and see the splendor of fields of golden wheat, and taste autumn's fruit, rejoice in the feel of snow, and smell the breath of spring flowers.
Grant us a heart opened wide to all this beauty; and save us from being so blind that we pass unseeing when even the common thornbush is aflame with your glory.
For each new dawn is filled with infinite possibilities for new beginnings and new discoveries. Life is constantly changing and renewing itself. In this new day of new beginnings with God, all things are possible. We are restored and renewed in a joyous awakening to the wonder that our lives are and, yet, can be.
Amen.

Earth Day Prayer

O GOD,
we thank you for this earth, our home; for the wide sky and the blessed sun, for the ocean and streams, for the towering hills and the whispering wind, for the trees and green grass.
We thank you for our senses by which we hear the songs of birds, and see the splendor of fields of golden wheat, and taste autumn's fruit, and rejoice in the feel of snow, and smell the breath of spring flowers.
GRANT US a heart opened wide to all this beauty; and save us from being so blind that we pass unseeing when even the common thornbush is aflame with your glory.

Keeping It In Focus

Charles Haddon Spurgeon wrote many years ago:
"There is no place where God is not. God is there in a thousand wonders, upholding rocky barriers, filling the buttercups with their perfume and refreshing the lonely pines with the breath of his mouth. Descend…into the lowest depths of the ocean, where undisturbed water sleeps, and the very sand is motionless in unbroken quiet, but the glory of the Lord is there, revealing its excellence in the silent palace of the sea. Borrow the wings of the morning and fly to the uttermost parts of the sea, but God is there."
His beauty is stamped in all of creation:
The glory of God can be seen
from the smallest raindrop
to the mighty flash of lightning;
from the tiny rosebud
to the huge magnolia blossom;
from the rich, fertile soil of the Mississippi Delta
to the arid, dusty land of the desert.
We can see His stamp of glory in all the world,
from the music of a sparkling brook
to the majestic tumbling waterfall;
from the gnarled, gentle hands of a loving grandfather
to the birth-fresh fragility of a baby’s fingernail;
from the silence of the stars to the peal of thunder;
from the mirror-like smoothness of a placid lake
to the wind-driven thunderous waves smashing on the shore.
In the fresh greenery of the spring; in the dazzling color of autumn; in the joy of discovery on a baby’s face; and in the fulfillment and meaning of the New Birth, we can see the glory of God.